KADUNA: Gunmen have abducted more than 160 Christian worshippers after storming multiple churches during Sunday services in Kaduna State, northwestern Nigeria.
According to church leaders and security sources, the attacks occurred on Sunday when armed men, described as bandits carrying sophisticated weapons, invaded churches mid-service and forced worshippers out into nearby bushes.
Reverend Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in northern Nigeria, told reporters that the attackers initially seized 172 people, but nine managed to escape, leaving 163 worshippers still in captivity.
The attackers came in large numbers, blocked the church entrances and marched worshippers into the bush, Hayab said.
However, conflicting figures have emerged from different sources. A traditional ruler in the affected area, Ishaku Dan’azumi, said 166 people were taken from three churches in Kurmin Wali village, while a lawmaker representing the area, Usman Danlami Stingo, told the Associated Press that 168 people are still missing.
A separate security report prepared for the United Nations confirmed that armed bandits attacked several churches and abducted over 100 worshippers, though it did not give a precise number.
Kaduna State police said troops and other security agencies have been deployed to the area and are currently working to track down the kidnappers and rescue the victims.
Mass kidnappings for ransom have become increasingly common in northern and central Nigeria, with criminal gangs locally referred to as bandits frequently targeting villages, schools, and places of worship.
Sunday’s church attacks are the latest in a growing wave of abductions affecting both Christians and Muslims across the country.
Nigeria, which is almost evenly divided between a predominantly Christian south and a Muslim-majority north, continues to grapple with multiple security crises that cut across religious and ethnic lines.
In a similar incident last November, gunmen abducted over 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in Niger State. While some escaped, others were released weeks later after negotiations.
Security agencies say efforts to rescue the kidnapped worshippers are ongoing.
